~~~

  The following is a brief Chronology of Mankind’s history, crafted by the official Imperial Ministry of Historical Truths. Though no records may ever be entirely accurate — for the tyranny of the Divines and the subsequent War Against Heaven saw much of Humanity’s history lost to the void — the timeline presented before you is the culmination of centuries of effort by the most dutiful of Imperial Chroniclers. You may be reassured of their unbiased and honest nature.

  CC — Year of the Celestial Calendar (before the War Against Heaven)

  IC — Year of the Imperial Calendar (after the War Against Heaven)

  0 CC: The start of the Celestial Calendar marks the arrival of the Star-Eating Mountain — otherwise known colloquially as Mount Tai — upon the continent of Qiangyu. It is unknown why the enormous entity arrived or by what means it used to do so.

  What is known, however, is that the Mountain did not always exist in our lands. Before its arrival, there was already a thriving human civilisation whose reach stretched all throughout the continent, though some speculate that these early humans did not possess the means to cultivate and live entirely mortal lives.

  1st Millennium CC: Sometime during the turn of the first millennium, the Jade King was born. According to Legend, the Great Tyrant materialised from the womb of Mount Tai itself; the product of a millennium of Astral energies swallowed by the Star-Eating Mountain.

  Other Divine entities and Gods soon followed, emerging from the slopes and caves of Mount Tai, though none matched the strength of the First God. In time, the Tyrant established the Celestial Court, before summoning the Jade Clouds which covered the lands — the means by which the Divine and its ilk would deny men the right of cultivation for an entire Era.

  2nd Millennium CC: Despite best efforts, very little historical data has been uncovered from this time period. Records of the first human cultivator began surfacing: men and women who turned their backs on their own kind so that they may form a covenant with the Divine Masters that oppressed them. There are also scattered details of a great war that occurred near the end of the millennium: one not between humans and Gods, but rather against a force that emerged from beyond the Abyssal Ridge known as the—

  (Large sections of the manual have their pages torn out.)

  … It was estimated that over 90% of the human population expired during this period, and that the human race only recovered to pre-war numbers during the onset of the 3rd millennium.

  3rd Millennium CC: The turn of the 3rd Millennium saw the beginnings of the War Against Heaven. Most of the details of the War are either censored or lost, but the outcome is clear for all to see. Humanity, under the leadership of His Perverse Majesty, overthrew the Kingdom of Jade. The Celestial Court and their Gods were slain, their flesh claimed for our consumption. With our fates in hand, the new Flesh-Grafted Empire ascended.

  0 IC: At the beginning of the new Imperial Calendar, Our Imperial Majesty gave his First and Only Decree: to devour and cultivate. With his Grand Domain — the Eternal Banquet — ensuring that the bountiful fruits of Fleshborne Divinity were made available to all, Mankind ascended, and cultivator numbers proliferated.

  1st Millennium IC: The turn of the first millennium of Imperial Rule approaches, and much of the world is now in a better place. The Empire now stands with a population of more than one billion strong. Great have been our achievements, for the number of Immortal human cultivators has reached over a thousand. Of those within the ‘Mortal’ Realms of cultivation, nearly a million practitioners still persist tirelessly on their Path. In time, perhaps they may join the revered company of Immortals as well, bringing our Emperor’s dream of a fully Ascendant Humanity closer to completion.

  Of the Gods, the sole lasting reminder of their tyranny lies above us: the accursed Jade Clouds of the Great Tyrant, which endure to this day. It is the Legacy of the Jade King’s selfishness, a spiteful act made to forever deny Mankind the gentle touch of the Stars and their Qi-giving light. Yet even that is but a small hindrance in our progress, for with the corpses of the Dead Deities saturating our lands in putrid decay, the means of securing spiritual energy for cultivation is made available.

  The Human Race is the strongest it has ever been, and it shall grow stronger still. Without the Divines to hinder our advancement, and with their bodies propelling our progress, Mankind has no fear of its future. Long live His Perverse Majesty’s reign! May our Hunger never cease, and may His Eternal Banquet never end!

  – Excerpt from To Those Worthy of the Eternal Banquet. This particular copy was one of the earlier editions printed out during the first century of His Perverse Majesty’s rule. It has since been banned, with copies of it hunted down and destroyed by the Hands of the Imperial Justiciars.

  10 years ago…

  “Cultivation involves the development of one’s meridians. This process can be approached in two ways: by building excessive stores of refined Spiritual Energy, or by rapidly expending Spiritual Energy over a short period of time. It’s a cycle of accumulation and release — the fundamental principle of cultivation.

  …

  Oh, don’t give me that look, little Feng. I assure you, your Big Sis is not doubting your intelligence. I am simply leading up to a point. Cease your pouting, or I won’t be able to stop myself from squishing those adorable cheeks of yours. I would hate to accidentally slice open your mouth again. You know how sharp my EdgesBladesSwords fingers are.

  Now, where was I? Ah, yes.

  Spiritual Energy, in itself, is not a particularly scarce resource. Most of our environment — even considering that we live within the ‘barren’ lands of the Outer Provinces — is relatively saturated in qi. Likewise, expending Spiritual Energy is not a difficult process, provided one knows the proper techniques and executes them correctly.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  However, ambient qi alone is unsuitable for cultivation and must first be refined into a usable state. The average cultivator’s ability to obtain refined qi is often limited and frequently inefficient.

  There are six known methods for cultivation, commonly referred to as the Sixfold Path to Immortality. Yes, little Feng, I am aware that other ‘special’ methods exist, but more often than not, those are just slight variations of the six standard approaches. For now, let’s just focus on the Sixfold Path.

  The Sixfold Paths to Immortality is split into two groups: Three to guide Spiritual Balance, and three to guide Spiritual Hunger.

  We will first go over the three Balance Paths: Meditation, Alchemy, and Duelling.

  Meditation, the practice of gathering and refining ambient qi through one’s meridians, is a painfully slow process. A cultivator might absorb only one-thousandth of the qi cycled during the exercise—a pathetic amount, though admittedly one gained without much effort and with nothing sacrificed but time. More advanced meditation techniques may also incorporate the process of ‘expending’ Spiritual Energy into the exercise as well, which doubles the rate of meridian growth.

  Alchemy, the practice of creating cultivation pills and elixirs, offers a less time-consuming method for gathering qi. By collecting and mixing elemental spiritual compounds such as Spirit Stones, Spirit Herbs, and Spirit Beast Components, the alchemist plunders upon the qi already refined in nature, thereby skipping the gruelling and lengthy process of refining ambient qi entirely. A single well-made Spirit Pill can save hours or even days of meditation. Additionally, most non-sanguine beverages, like Spirit Wine, fall under this category and are popular as an inexpensive way to replenish daily qi usage. The more exotic or sophisticated alchemy products might even aid in improving a cultivator’s meridians or body, rather than just replenishing their stores of refined qi. I’m sure you’ve heard tales of legendary pill makers by now.

  Duelling, the practice of fighting another cultivator, is the simplest way to expend one’s meridians, as long as one has refined qi to spare. The intensity of martial combat in a life-or-death situation puts one in a heightened state of pain and ecstasy, igniting the soul and prompting the body to evolve. While training alone can yield similar benefits, the absence of an opponent significantly reduces the effectiveness of the exercise. An obvious limitation of this method would be its rapid expenditure of Spiritual Energy. As a result, most disciples typically spend only one day a week duelling, using the remaining days to rest and recover their qi reserves.

  These three methods represent the most basic forms of cultivation: the Three Paths of Balance. While their usefulness is undeniable, their effectiveness in developing the body leaves much to be desired. On their own, they lack the refined potency and Spiritual abundance required to establish or sustain a society of Immortal Cultivators.

  This brings us to the next trio, the Three Paths of Hunger: Consumption, Cannibalism, and Communion.

  During the Age of Gods, the act of devouring another creature’s cultivated flesh was both taboo and unsafe. The qi in one’s body is unique, composed of countless variations in Spiritual structure and synthesis. In other words, the refined qi cycled within the Dantian and the meridians of the creature exist purely in a state suited for them and them alone. Should another entity consume it, even if they are of the same species, the foreign refined qi ingested would cause irreparable Spiritual imbalance, severely weakening them and potentially leading to death, rather than revitalising them.

  However, thanks to His Imperial Majesty’s Domain, the Eternal Banquet, the practice of devouring cultivated flesh is now not only safe, but also transfers a vastly increased proportion of usable qi to the consumer. Hence, the efficacy of the Three Paths of Hunger vastly outstrips the Three Paths of Balance, with the main drawback being in acquiring the needed cultivated sustenance.

  Consumption, the practice of feasting on the flesh and meat of Spirit Beasts or other non-human creatures capable of cultivation, is the most commonly practised method within the Paths of Hunger. While Spirit Beast meat must be prepared for safe consumption, it is not uncommon for cultivators to eat it raw, provided the parts consumed are not venomous. A single pound of meat from a Spirit Beast of equal cultivation can sustain a cultivator's qi usage for an entire week. Organs and offal offer proportionally larger amounts of Spiritual Energy, sometimes providing five to ten times as much. They are also a frequent ingredient for crafting the most potent of alchemical products.

  Cannibalism, the practice of directly eating another Cultivator’s flesh or organs, offers an even greater proportion of refined Spiritual Energy transferred. For cultivators, the transference of refined qi from the devoured to the devourer is noted to always be flawlessly absolute, with not a single notable loss of qi during the exchange. Dual Cultivation practices also fall under this category, and are technically considered a more sustainable method of cannibalism, assuming the stronger partner does not accidentally devour their lesser consort whole in the process.

  Now, the final — and greatest way — for a cultivator to obtain refined qi should already be obvious to you. Father has already brought you to see the Corpus, after all.

  … Hmm? You look upset, little Feng… You say your strange imaginary friend is bothering you again?

  … Ignore her, baby brother. Now is not the time for playing. You can talk to her later, okay?

  Communion, the practice of devouring Divine viands, is the greatest and most efficient method of obtaining refined Spiritual Energy. It is also the rarest, for obvious reasons. The flesh and blood of a Divine Corpse is precious beyond belief, and not something to be trifled with. Even if we disregard their enormous value, a cultivator who recklessly consumes Divine flesh runs the risk of being overwhelmed by Spiritual Energy. The results would not be pretty. In most Sects, such commodities are only given to Disciples on the brink of a breakthrough. In fact, Divine viands are considered a necessity for advancing between Realms. It is unheard of for someone to achieve a breakthrough without them, even if it’s just a drop of Divine blood.

  Now, let’s do some maths for body-qi distribution. It is important you know this before your first feasting ceremony, baby brother. For ease, we shall assume the butchered is an adult male cultivator whose standing is within the Ninth Step of the Foundation Realm. Such a body would typically yield approximately twenty-five kilograms of fats, forty kilograms of lean flesh, five kilograms of organ meat, and fifteen kilograms of bones. The best way of preparing a meal would be to first…”

  — A lesson taught to an eight-year-old Hei Feng by Hei Xingyu, the now-deceased ex-Heiress of the Beheaded Phoenix Sect

  The Sixfold Path to Immortality

  The Sixfold Path is a cultivation framework said to have been crafted by the Emperor himself during the early days of the War against Heaven. These six standard approaches outline the process one takes to attain Immortality and Spiritual Enlightenment.

  The Sixfold Path is split into two halves: Balance and Hunger.

  The Three Paths of Balance represent the natural components of a practitioner that they shall master in order to discipline their mortal shell — Mind, Body, and Soul. (Meditation, Martial Duelling, and Alchemy)

  Meanwhile, the Three Paths of Hunger represent the self-serving aspects a cultivator must indulge in order to pursue Immortality — Greed, Pleasure, and Pride. (Consumption, Cannibalism, and Communion)

  Through these six paths combined, the practitioners gain the discipline and selfishness necessary to liberate themselves from the burdens of mortality. Allow the Sixfold Path and His Majesty’s Eternal Banquet to guide you, and you shall never be led astray.

  – Excerpt from To Those Worthy of the Eternal Banquet